1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch device, and particularly, to a switch device in which a conductive plating layer is formed on an operating portion of a push button unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a switch device in which a switch is combined with a push button unit having an operating portion, and the operating portion of the push button unit is pushed to change a state of the switch. In such a switch device, when a person operates the operating portion of the push button unit, static electricity discharged from the person to the switch may have a bad effect on electrical circuits connected to the switch or damage electronic components. Accordingly, measures intended for preventing the discharge of the static electricity has conventionally been taken.
One of conventional measures for preventing the discharge of static electricity includes employing means in which a flange projecting to the surroundings of the operating portion is integrally molded with a basis of the operating portion as a push button with a synthetic resin, and the flange shields a gap between a hole edge of a hole in a housing and the operating portion inserted into the hole and increases the creeping distance from the operating portion to the switch, which results in improved electrostatic voltage resistance (See. JP-UM-A-1-167000 and JP-UM-A-63-196536).
On the other hand, for electric and electronic apparatuses such as magnetic tape apparatuses using magnetic tapes as recording mediums and optical disk apparatuses using optical disks as recording mediums, it is necessary to form a conductive plating layer such as a metal plating layer on the operating portion that operates the switch.
Further, in a switch device in which a shielding portion projecting to the surroundings of an operating portion is integrally molded with a basis of the operating portion with a synthetic resin, to thereby shield a gap between a hole edge of a hole in a housing and the operating portion inserted into the hole, and a mounting part connected to the shielding portion via a resin hinge is anchored to the housing, it is also necessary to get a pleasing appearance of the operating portion by forming a conductive plating layer at least on the operating portion.